My grace is sufficient for you
My grace is sufficient for you 6/8/08 a.m.
God’s Riches Available at Christ’s Expense
This is a message of sufficient grace. God is sufficient for our
spiritual ministries (2 Cor. 3:4–6)
and our material needs (2 Cor. 9:8)
as well as our physical needs (2 Cor. 12:9).
If God’s grace is sufficient to save us, surely it is sufficient to keep us and strengthen us in our times of suffering.
2 Co 12:7-10 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to 2buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Co 12:7 lest I should be exalted above measure
(The Gr. words trans. to keep me from becoming conceited occur in 12:7 twice, at the beginning and end of the verse
Dt 8:3 So He humbled you,
a thorn in the flesh was given to me,
Dt 8:3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger,
a messenger of Satan
Job 2:7 7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.
Lk 13:11,16 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.
So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”
to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.
(The Gr. words trans. to keep me from becoming conceited occur in 12:7 twice, at the beginning and end of the verse
(afflictions are sent for our spiritual benefit)
2buffet vt 13c
1 : to strike sharply esp. with the hand : cuff
2 : to strike repeatedly : batter 〈the waves buffeted the shore〉
3 : to drive, force, move, or attack by or as if by repeated blows vi :
to make one’s way esp. under difficult conditions[1]
8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
We may pray to God for the removal of them:
Yet pray they reach their desired end
He besought the Lord thrice, that is, often.
We must hold on, and hold out, till we receive an answer.
Christ himself prayed to his Father thrice.
9 And He said to me,
And He [God] has once-for-all said to me.”
“My grace is sufficient for you,
1grace \ˈgrās\ n [ME, fr. AF, fr. L gratia favor, charm, thanks, fr. gratus pleasing, grateful; akin to Skt gṛṇāti he praises] 12c
1 a : unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification
b : a virtue coming from God
This grace is sufficient (arkei, i.e., adequate in the sense of providing contentment).
Grace is the power of God toward you
2 Co 13:4 4 For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.
We stand by grace
Ro 5:1-5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Dt 8:3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.
Eph 6:10-18 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
14 Stand
with truth,
having righteousness,
and the gospel
16 the shield of faith
with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one
17 And the helmet of salvation,
and the word of God;
18 praying
being watchful
perseverance
and supplication for all the saints—
for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
One of the greatest spiritual truths in all of Scripture:
God’s strength is made perfect (complete, mature) in our weakness
my strength—Greek, “power.”
is made perfect—has its most perfect manifestation.
We are more than conquerors through Him
Ro 8:35-37 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
1 Pe 4:11 11 that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
1 Co 10:31 31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities,
opportunities for Christ to manifest His power and grace to us
2 Co 10:17 17 But “he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”
that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Jn 14:21 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
Eph 1:15-20 15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
Php 3:7-11 7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake.
For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Ti 2:1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
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2 beat
vt verb transitive
c century
esp especially
[1]Merriam-Webster, I. (2003). Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary. Includes index. (Eleventh ed.). Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, Inc.